On June 14, the U.S. Conference of Mayors endorsed the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), a new, comprehensive green building code authored by the International Code Council. In a resolution passed at the group’s annual meeting in Oklahoma City, the Conference of Mayors “call[s] on all local governments wishing to take a more holistic approach to incorporating energy efficiency in residential and commercial buildings, sustainable community planning and healthy and safe building practices into the codes to adopt the IGCC.”
The IGCC, developed by the International Code Council with assistance from the AIA, ASHRAE, the ASTM, the IESNA, and the USGBC, encompasses all aspects of building design, construction and maintenance, including energy use, water management, air quality, and safety. Released in March, the new code is meant to provide a baseline for compliance, to be supplemented by local code changes and additions. The LEED rating system, which has already been adopted in some cities as a minimum standard, will remain a voluntary, above-code standard.
George H. Miller, AIA president, said in a statement, “The IGCC needs the backing of leadership within local jurisdictions if it is to have any impact on the carbon footprint of the nation’s building sector. ... This resolution by America’s mayors is a huge step in that direction.”
